March 2017 Newsletter

loading...

Greetings from Chef Jacques

We were happy to be awarded a Snail of Approval this month from Slow Food D.C. in recognition of our work with sustainable agriculture and local foods. We’re very proud to be a Slow Food establishment and we pride ourselves on growing much of our produce on-site as well as working with local farmers and sustainable purveyors. In fact, we’ve been taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather lately to prepare our hearty vegetable gardens and terraces for planting. We already have spinach coming out of the garden for our much-loved spinach and goat cheese salad. And, we’re working with Indian Springs Farm, located less than a mile from us here in Great Falls, to grow additional vegetables and provide us with heritage-breed eggs. The eggs on your Tarte Flambée Benedict at brunch or in your soufflé at dinner will have traveled just a few short minutes from the farm to your plate. We hope you’ll come in and taste one for yourself.

In the black and white photograph above, we are able to see Papa François’ vision of transforming the property into his French country inn over forty years ago. We are welcoming spring with a slate of wonderful events in April, including our celebratory forty-first anniversary dinner featuring the wines of JM Brocard; Celebrate Earth Day cooking demonstration and lunch featuring the wines of JC Boisset and a master saberer; two dinners with winemakers; two opportunities to attend our always sold-out musical brunch; and our monthly wine festival. Come join and celebrate our special events with us!

Warm Regards,Chef Jacques, Paul, and the team of L’Auberge Chez François

Musical Brunch with Guitarist Alex Barnett

Please join Chef Jacques and L’Auberge Chez François on Sunday, April 2nd at 11:00am as we host our popular Musical Brunch featuring the music of classical guitarist Alexander Barnett. Alexander is a Baltimore-based guitarist who performs an extensive repertoire of music including classical and jazz pieces. We welcome back Alex, who has entertained our guests at L’Auberge on numerous sold-out occasions. We hope you will come in to be entertained and dine with us for a Sunday afternoon in beautiful Great Falls, VA.

Please join us on Tuesday, April 11th at 6:30pm when we welcome winemaker Scott Neal of Coeur de Terre Winery in Oregon. Coeur de Terre or “Heart of the Earth” was founded in 1998 by Scott and Lisa Neal and is located in the West Hills of McMinnville, known for its geologic diversity and beauty which translates into unique pinot noir. Described as “handcrafted, sustainable, artisanal and undeniably Oregon wines”, Chef Jacques is especially thrilled to host Scott and his delectable wines after a recent visit to the Willamette Valley and the vineyards.

Kermit Lynch has been a pioneer, introducing “wines made in the unadulterated, old-school traditional style aimed at accentuating terroir” (New York Times) by vignerons whose names are now iconic. He was also the first importer to have wines shipped in refrigerated containers to avoid heat damage, now standard practice. The Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant label on the back of each bottle includes a quote from Thomas Jefferson, “Good wine is a necessity of life for me”, so it is apt that we invite you to join us at L’Auberge Chez François on Jefferson’s birthday, Thursday, April 13th at 6:30pm for a dinner featuring selections from Kermit Lynch’s French portfolio.

Please join us on Thursday, April 20th at 6:30pm as we celebrate forty-one years in Great Falls, Virginia. To add to this festive evening, we welcome Etienne Verdier from Domaine Brocard to guide us through the wonderful Chardonnays of Chablis. The wines will be paired alongside Chef Jacques’ anniversary-inspired menu. Monsieur François’ goal was to operate a restaurant with “nice ambiance and good honest food at affordable prices.” The restaurant’s enduring popularity is a testimony to his success with this approach. We hope to reminisce over the past forty-one years here in Great Falls, Virginia and celebrate with you, creating even more memories to come.

Please join us on Saturday, April 22nd at 11:00am for a very special Earth Day celebratory cooking demonstration and luncheon featuring the sparkling wines of Jean Charles Boisset. Joining us from France will be Boisset’s sparkling brand ambassador, Gautier Mathieu de Fossey, Master Saber. In addition to discussing wine making, Gautier will guide guests through the history and ancient art of “sabering” (cutting corks off bottles whilst retaining all five fingers on each hand). We then choose ten “lucky draw” winners to participate in sabering our “No 21” Brut Crémant de Bourgogne. An afternoon not to be missed!

Sunday brunch with family and friends is a great way to wind up the weekend, and live music makes it even more enjoyable! Please join us on Sunday, April 23rd at 11:00am as we welcome pianist and multifaceted musician, Kevin Elam. Kevin studied classical piano throughout his childhood and through high school; finally receiving his degree from George Mason University. Since he has graduated, Kevin has maintained a full private studio. Spend the afternoon listening to music and enjoying Chef Jacques’ newest creations to the brunch menu – Savory Seafood Crepes and Filet Mignon with Local Farm Eggs and Béarnaise sauce.

When Monsieur François Haeringer was driving down Springvale Road, he rounded the hill and saw the opening of the property. The Great Falls location was formally an auto repair shop and then housed a gun shop, antique shop, and a country store with small delicatessen. Monsieur François transformed the buildings into a scene reminiscent of his hometown of Obernai. The front doors and stained glass windows were from the original downtown Chez François restaurant; and the walls are decorated with the Haeringer family’s collection of art and vintage copper cookware. Chef Jacques and Paul Haeringer are proud to continue Papa and Mama Haeringer’s dream to bring a family-operated country inn serving Alsatian food at affordable prices.

Team Member of the Month

We are proud to announce that Ovidio Panameno is the team member of the month. Ovidio originally began working at L’Auberge Chez François as a dishwasher in September 2004. His ambition and motivation to advance his career pushed him to learn the various kitchen stations and he is now a line cook. His skill, dedication, flexibility and ability to take shifts on short notice have helped the restaurants tremendously. He always has a positive attitude and a good time at work because his co-workers have become some of his closest friends, which makes spending time on the clock a lot more fun. Here’s looking towards many more years with Ovidio with the L’Auberge Chez François team!